The next day.

Ji Yinshu organized the cases of Jiao Shiniang and Xing Xiyang and handed them to the Minister of Justice, asking him to enter the palace to report to the Emperor.

But the Minister of Justice had barely left the Ministry of Justice when she caught up with him.

She took back the case files she had organized from his hands.

“Master Ji, what are you doing?”

“I’d better go in person.” Recently, because the Ministry of Justice had many more cases, she hadn’t entered the palace for almost a month. During this time, Wei Yi occasionally had people send her some supplements—all extremely precious. She accepted them and had her maids frequently brew them for her to drink, which also provoked Jingrong’s occasionally neurotic behavior. Seeing her drinking the supplements Wei Yi sent with such relish, he felt he couldn’t lose out, so he personally went out to buy many supplements and piled them in her room.

This caused Ji Yinshu to have a nosebleed that wouldn’t stop for quite some time!

So much so that when Wei Yi later had people send more supplements, she didn’t dare touch them.

Learning that she would enter the palace today, Wei Yi had arranged early for a young eunuch to go outside the palace gates to receive her, saying he had prepared lots of food in the Imperial Garden, waiting for her to come.

She followed the young eunuch toward the Imperial Garden, happening to pass by the Eastern Palace!

Her footsteps involuntarily stopped!

Now the great red doors of the Eastern Palace were tightly closed. Though the lanterns hanging in the corners outside the door were new, the two characters “Eastern Palace” on the plaque were somewhat mottled, the gold paint peeling off. Combined with today being overcast, the gray sky pressing down over the Eastern Palace made it appear even more gloomy and oppressive. Thinking back to when Jinghua was still alive, this place could be described as magnificent and glorious, with singing and music every night. Those living inside, even the little eunuchs who swept the floors, were superior to others—after all, their master was the future dragon. Who would have thought that in one night, Jinghua would believe slander and be foolish enough to actually besiege the palace and commit regicide, causing all the prosperous glory, gold inlays, and jade carvings to become wisps of past smoke that scattered without a trace when the wind blew.

And who could have imagined that just the next day, Crown Prince Jinghua and the newly-wed Crown Princess Kong Yu would both die inside.

Afterward, many people in the palace were unwilling even to pass by this place!

Afraid of ghosts!

But the name Kong Yu had remained in Ji Yinshu’s heart ever since that day.

Her sorrowful gaze looked at the slight crack showing between those great red doors. In her mind, she couldn’t help but recall the scenes from back then. Kong Yu, using all her strength to tightly grasp her hand, her pale face reflecting a red glow, said: “Please… tell A’Rong that if… if there is a next life, I will still love him without hesitation, I will still… silently… stay by his side. And please tell him not to… not to feel he’s wronged me, not to feel guilty. Everything… everything was what I… what I willingly chose.”

Back then, to protect Jingrong and make the Crown Prince forever bear the blame for the Chengqing Hall fire, she had steeled her heart, killed the Crown Prince, and then drank poison to follow him in death.

But only Ji Yinshu knew about this matter.

She didn’t want Kong Yu to bear the two crimes of murdering the Crown Prince and killing General Qujiang even after death, so she had concealed it until now.

And hoped to conceal it forever.

“Master Ji?” The young eunuch beside her, seeing her lost in thought, called out.

Only then did she come back to her senses, pulling her gaze back from that door crack.

The eunuch: “The Emperor is still waiting for Master Ji in the Imperial Garden.”

“Please lead the way, Eunuch.”

“Yes.”

Before even reaching the pavilion in the Imperial Garden, she could already see Wei Yi standing outside waiting. Seeing her arrive, he immediately broke into a clean smile.

In front of Ji Yinshu, he was forever the Wei Yi from back then.

In the pavilion, Wei Yi had already prepared her usual favorite pastries.

After the two sat down, he kept placing pastries before her.

“Shu’er, eat more. If it’s not enough, I’ll have someone go to the Imperial Kitchen to make more.”

In these past six months, in front of her, he had never once called himself “zhen.”

Ji Yinshu looked at the pastries piling up like a mountain before her, feeling somewhat helpless. She smiled and said: “How could I eat so much? You should eat more yourself too.”

After speaking, she placed a piece of pastry for him.

Wei Yi felt happy inside, and the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but curve into a smile.

He ate that piece of pastry in one bite!

This was probably the best thing he’d eaten in this entire period. The eunuchs and palace maids on the side were also used to this by now. Everyone knew that not only did the Emperor cherish Master Ji, but his heart also harbored feelings of admiration. This was hardly surprising—Master Ji was not only intelligent but also full of personal charisma. Anyone who met her would admire her greatly. Even Prince Rong, who was rumored not to be close to women, had been “captured” by her.

From the moment Ji Yinshu arrived, Wei Yi’s gentle gaze never left her. But the more he looked, the more his heart ached: “Look at you—only a month since I’ve seen you, how have you lost so much weight? That day when Jingrong entered the palace, he said the Ministry of Justice has been very busy lately and you couldn’t get away. But no matter how busy, you can’t neglect your own health. Did you eat the supplements I sent you? If you’ve finished them, I’ll have people prepare more shortly.”

She put down her chopsticks and said: “Thank you for Your Majesty’s concern. I’m fine.”

One phrase—”Your Majesty”!

Like a knife ruthlessly stabbing into Wei Yi’s chest.

He thought things between them hadn’t changed. He thought that if he called her Shu’er, she would also call him Wei Yi as before. But he didn’t know when it started—what came most from her mouth was no longer “Wei Yi” but “Your Majesty.”

That feeling of loss combined with hurt had tormented him many times over these six months.

He lowered his dimmed eyes, waved his hand, and ordered the eunuchs and palace maids in the pavilion: “All of you withdraw.”

“Yes.”

Only the two of them remained.

He stared at Ji Yinshu and said very seriously: “Shu’er, between you and me, there has never been a distinction between emperor and subject.”

Deliberately emphasizing.

Ji Yinshu understood his meaning and also heard the slight sadness and loneliness in his tone.

But—

With others present, she couldn’t disregard propriety.

Even Jingrong, who held the rank of prince, had to respectfully address him as “Your Majesty” in front of everyone, let alone her who was merely a Director of Criminal Prosecutions.

No matter how good their relationship, in the end there was still a distinction between ruler and subject!

She straightened her expression and told him seriously: “Wei Yi, as long as you are emperor for even one day, I am your subject for that day. Addressing you as ‘Your Majesty’ is proper.”

“But we are not ruler and subject.” Wei Yi said, “You are my only family in this world.”

Family.

Ji Yinshu’s heart trembled. Meeting his sorrowful eyes, for a moment she didn’t know what to say.

Wei Yi suddenly grasped her pale hand.

“From now on when no one else is present, just call me Wei Yi. Can you do that?”

His tone was almost pleading.

Ji Yinshu was silent for a moment, then nodded, and at the same time withdrew her hand from his.

Looking at his now-empty hand, Wei Yi’s heart also felt somewhat hollow. The taste was indescribable!